Sarah WallockOn Sunday afternoon, we drove out to Kariotahi Beach. It was so stunning. The sun was beginning to set and the green hills contrasted the blue ocean, which contrasted the black sand. It was remarkable (and freezing!). We drove out along the beach and ventured both north and south with our car on the sand. The sand is magnetic and sometimes contains precious metals. We ran to the car, after being drenched in rain, and the sky cleared and a rainbow formed almost minutes later.
Today, we headed out to the wild west coast beaches. We drove through West Auckland to get to Waitakere Ranges. We went through Blockhouse Bay and Green Bay and they looked quite different than South Auckland- they were much more green and hilly and they had a small-town feel. Driving through Waitakere was so beautiful, I am so glad we decided to venture further out of Auckland because we were able to discover more diverse areas of NZ. First, we went over to Piha. We got lunch from the general store, drove down to the beach and climbed Lion Rock. Lion Rock is the large rock on the beach behind me in the second photo.
And here are some photos of the green machine on her way down to Piha.
After spending an hour at Piha, we went over to do our first NZ tramp at Mercer Bay. It is a 1.4 km loop that takes an hour. We walked along a bluff overlooking the ocean and enjoyed the sun. It was a great hike and a well-maintained trail. I was surprised that we were some of the only people out. In 1450 AD, the Maori formed a settlement on this mountain. It was really interesting that throughout the tramp, there was clearly-marked signage to indicate the natural history of the region.
Tomorrow we are going blackwater rafting in the glowworm caves at Waitomo. I am really looking forward to it! Stay tuned to hear more about my adventures on the North Island.
